Unix Socket in Java 16

Question

I saw in JEP-380 that Java can now communicate with UNIX sockets. Is it already reliable to put a server into production using this?

Is there any high-level framework that already implements UNIX socket?

Answer 1

Is it already reliable to put a server into production using this?

Yes. Every version of Java is fully reviewed and tested. Whether a regular biannual release or a Long-Term Support (LTS) version (Java 8, Java 11), every release is production-ready. Java 16 is the current release.

If a particular feature is not ready for production, the team simply slips that feature to the next 6-month release, giving time to finalize the work.

If a feature is not ready for production but is worthy of widespread public consideration and feedback, the feature is included as a preview feature. Such features are clearly documented as being preview. And the preview features are disabled by default, so you cannot use them by accident. You have to go out of your way to enable preview features as you run an app.

You can look at the source code and the tests yourself if curious, on the OpenJDK project.

Of course, computing in 2021 is imperfect. Someone somewhere may discover some issue or bug in some obscure corner case, as is true with any software on any OS on any hardware. The issue-tracker for OpenJDK is open. You can look for existing issues, and check their status.

Is there any high-level framework that already implements UNIX socket?

I believe you’ll find any feature in OpenJDK to be more thoroughly reviewed and tested than most any third-party library.

And, FYI, asking for library recommendations is off-topic on Stack Overflow. See the sister site, Software Recommendations Stack Exchange.